Auto-playing videos on websites can be both annoying and disruptive, especially when they suddenly start with sound in quiet environments. If you're using the latest version of Microsoft Edge, there's a way to prevent these videos from playing automatically. Microsoft Edge offers a feature that allows you to completely block all auto-playing media on the websites you visit.
Although this feature is experimental and considered a flag within the browser community, it can help you regain control over media playback. However, remember that enabling experimental features may affect browser performance or security. Proceed with caution.
Step 1: Open the Microsoft Edge browser on your computer. Click on the menu icon (three dots) located on the address bar and select Settings from the dropdown menu.
Step 2: In the Settings sidebar, click on Site Permissions. This section allows you to manage permissions for websites you visit.
Step 3: Scroll down to the bottom of the Site Permissions page and select the Media Autoplay option.
Here, you'll find settings that control if audio and video media can play automatically on sites. By default, there are two options: Allow and Limit. The Limit option restricts media from playing automatically on sites where you've previously blocked media playback, but it doesn't prevent all autoplay media.
Step 4: To completely block all auto-playing media, type edge://flags into the address bar and press Enter. This will open the experimental features page known as "Experiments."
Step 5: In the search box at the top of the Experiments page, type "Show block option in autoplay settings". This will filter the flags to display the relevant option.
Step 6: Click on the drop-down menu next to the flag and select Enabled from the list of options.
After enabling the flag, a message will appear at the bottom prompting you to restart the browser for the changes to take effect. Ensure that you save any work in open tabs before proceeding.
Step 7: Click on the Restart button to relaunch Microsoft Edge.
Step 8: Once the browser restarts, navigate back to Settings » Site Permissions » Media Autoplay. You'll notice that a new option, Block, is now available in the autoplay settings drop-down menu.
Step 9: Select the Block option. This setting will prevent all media that plays sound from playing automatically on websites. Note that this change will apply to new tabs and websites you visit after making the change or after reloading any currently open tabs.
By following these steps, you've successfully configured Microsoft Edge to block all auto-playing media with sound. This gives you more control over your browsing experience and prevents unexpected media playback on websites.
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